1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

I am the man who has been suffering because of the power of God’s anger.

2 M e hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.

He has led me and brought me into darkness and not into light.

3 S urely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.

For sure He has turned His hand against me again and again all day long.

4 M y flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.

He has made my flesh and my skin waste away. He has broken my bones.

5 H e hath built against me, and encompassed with gall and toil.

He has shut me in with trouble and suffering.

6 H e hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.

He has made me live in dark places, like those who have been dead a long time.

7 H e hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

He has put a wall around me so that I cannot go out. He has put heavy chains on me.

8 E ven when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

Even when I cry and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.

9 H e hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

He has stopped me with blocks of stone. He has made my paths no longer straight.

10 H e is unto me a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.

He is like a bear lying in wait, like a lion hiding in secret places.

11 H e hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

He has turned me from the path and torn me to pieces. He has destroyed me.

12 H e hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

He used His bow, and set me as a mark for His arrow.

13 H e hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

He has taken out His arrows and sent them into my heart.

14 I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.

All my people laugh at me. They sing songs that make fun of me all day long.

15 H e hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.

He has filled me with bitter feelings. He has made me drunk with wormwood.

16 H e hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

He has broken my teeth with rocks, and has covered me with dust.

17 A nd thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.

Peace has left my soul. I have forgotten what it is like to be happy.

18 A nd I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.

So I say, “My strength is gone, and so has my hope from the Lord.”

19 R emember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.

Remember my trouble and my traveling from place to place, the wormwood and bitter feelings.

20 M y soul hath constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

I remember it always, and my soul bows down within me.

21 — This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.

But this I remember, and so I have hope.

22 I t is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;

It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends.

23 t hey are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

It is new every morning. He is so very faithful.

24 J ehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

“The Lord is my share.” says my soul, “so I have hope in Him.”

25 J ehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul seeketh him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the one who looks for Him.

26 I t is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.

It is good that one should be quiet and wait for the saving power of the Lord.

27 I t is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth:

It is good for a man to carry the load while he is young.

28 H e sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;

Let him sit alone and be quiet when God has laid the load on him.

29 h e putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;

Let him put his mouth in the dust. There may be hope yet.

30 h e giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.

Let him give his face to the one who hits him, and be filled with shame.

31 F or the Lord will not cast off for ever;

For the Lord will not turn away from a man forever.

32 b ut if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:

For if He causes sorrow, He will have loving-pity because of His great loving-kindness.

33 f or he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

He does not want to cause trouble or sorrow for the children of men.

34 T o crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

He is not pleased when all those on earth who are in prison are crushed under foot.

35 t o turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

The Most High is not pleased when the rights are kept away from a man who is before Him,

36 t o wrong a man in his cause,—will not the Lord see it?

and when wrong is done to him in his cause. The Lord is not pleased with these things.

37 W ho is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?

Who has said that something would happen and then it did happen, unless the Lord has said that it should be?

38 O ut of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and bad come?

39 W herefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

Why should any living man complain about the punishment of his sins?

40 L et us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.

Let us test and look over our ways, and return to the Lord.

41 L et us lift up our heart with hands unto God in the heavens.

Let us lift up our heart and hands to God in heaven, saying,

42 W e have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

“We have sinned and would not obey You, and You have not forgiven us.

43 T hou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.

You have covered Yourself with anger and have followed us, killing without pity.

44 T hou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.

You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.

45 T hou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

You have made us a waste and something that is not wanted among the nations.

46 A ll our enemies have opened their mouth against us.

All those who hate us have spoken against us.

47 F ear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.

Fear and a trap have come upon us. We are laid waste and destroyed.

48 M ine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.

My eyes flow with rivers of tears because my people are destroyed.

49 M ine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

Tears flow from my eyes all the time without stopping,

50 t ill Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.

until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.

51 M ine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

My eyes bring me suffering because of what is happening to all the women of my city.

52 T hey that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.

I have been hunted like a bird by those who hate me for no reason.

53 T hey have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.

They threw me alive into the deep hole and have put a stone on me.

54 W aters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.

Water flowed over my head, and I said, “I am cut off!”

55 I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.

I called on Your name, O Lord, out of the deep hole.

56 T hou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.

You have heard my voice. Do not close Your ears to my cry for help.

57 T hou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.

You came near when I called You, and You said, “Do not be afraid!”

58 L ord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.

You have helped me in my cause, O Lord. You have saved my life.

59 J ehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

O Lord, You have seen the wrong done to me. Judge in my favor.

60 T hou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.

You have seen how much they hate me and plan against me.

61 T hou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;

O Lord, You have heard how they put me to shame and how they work against me.

62 t he lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.

The lips and thoughts of those who hurt me are against me all day long.

63 B ehold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.

Watch their sitting down and standing up. I am their song as they make fun of me.

64 R ender unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;

O Lord, You will punish them for what they have done.

65 g ive them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;

You will give them hard hearts, and curse them.

66 p ursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

Go after them in anger and destroy them from under Your heavens, O Lord.